Bill Peters is gone as head coach of the Calgary Flames after the use of racial slurs came out a decade ago. Peters coached the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs in 2009 when he used the n-word against Akim Aliu.
Flames general manager Brad Treliving (above), who conducted a thorough investigation, named assistant coach Geoff Ward as the interim head coach. Treliving kept Peters away from the team during the investigation.
There was also accusations of physical violence against players when Peters was coach for Carolina in the NHL. Michal Jordan alleged Peters kicked him and punched a teammate.
This morning, #Flames GM Brad Treliving received and accepted a letter of resignation from Bill Peters: "Effective immediately, Bill Peters is no longer a member of the Calgary Flames organization." pic.twitter.com/IImaQVaXml
The Peters apology letter seemed to make things worse. Aliu called the apology "misleading, insincere and concerning."
"I am aware that there is no excuse for language that is offensive. I meant no disrespect in what I said, and it was not directed at anyone in particular. But, that doesn't matter; it was hurtful and demeaning. I am truly sorry."
The n-word is a sign of disrespect and aimed at specific people. There was a dispute about an apology: Aliu said there wasn't one, Peters said there was one.
There may be some correlation to what happened to Don Cherry. Hockey is for everyone. That is the message of the present and future for the NHL and hockey in general.
Mike Babcock in his stupid move with Mitch Marner is its own issue. Cherry and Peters don't quite understand what happened to them. The mentality (hazing included) of this macho, white-bread mentality needs to be reversed.
The Calgary Flames struggled even before this Peters controversy. Having a resolution will help the team. The team has had Bob Hartley (2012-2016); Glen Gulutzan (2016-2018); and Bill Peters (2018-2019) in recent years. Gulutzan and Peters combined for 9 playoff games with a 1-8 record.
NBCSN has a lone December telecast with Toronto hosting its American cousins from Buffalo close to the holiday break.
The NHL Network has its Ottawa season debut near the end of the month, though on the road in Pittsburgh. The channel will show a highly rare NHL game from Alberta on New Year's Eve. The New York Rangers have more appearances (3) just against Canadian teams in December than Montréal (2), Winnipeg (0), and Vancouver (0) combined.
The Jets got 3 telecasts in the first 2 weeks but have disappeared since then. The Canucks would love to have that problem as the NHL Network hasn't carried Vancouver this season.
The 2020 World Juniors start on Boxing Day, December 26, in Ostrava and Třinec in the Czech Republic. The gold medal game will be on January 5, 2020. TSN in Canada and NHL Network in the United States will have the coverage. The games are in the middle of the afternoon in the eastern part of the United States, so the NHL Network is taking advantage and showing NHL games in prime time.
The NHL takes a holiday winter break between December 24-26.
NBCSN
December 17 Buffalo @ Toronto, 7p
NHL Network
December 1 Montréal @ Boston, 7p (HH) December 7 Toronto @ St. Louis, 7p (HNIC) December 14 Detroit @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC) December 20 Toronto @ NY Rangers, 7p December 22 Calgary @ Dallas, 7p (HH) December 28 NY Rangers @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC) December 30 Ottawa @ Pittsburgh, 7p December 31 NY Rangers @ Edmonton, 9p
ESPN+
December 1 Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p December 3 Toronto @ Philadelphia, 7p December 8 Buffalo @ Edmonton, 8p December 9 Calgary @ Colorado, 9p December 10 Montréal @ Pittsburgh, 7p December 15 Philadelphia @ Winnipeg, 5p December 17 Carolina @ Winnipeg, 8p Pittsburgh @ Calgary, 9p December 19 Nashville @ Ottawa, 7:30p December 20 Pittsburgh @ Edmonton, 9p December 21 Detroit @ Toronto, 7p December 23 Carolina @ Toronto, 2p December 27 Calgary @ Edmonton, 9p
Hockey Night in Canada
December 7
Buffalo @ Vancouver, 4p/Toronto @ St. Louis, 7p Los Angeles @ Calgary, 10p
December 14
Columbus @ Ottawa, 1p/Toronto @ Edmonton, 7p/Detroit @ Montréal, 7p Vancouver @ San Jose, 10p
We knew there would be a transition. Brian Burke was the centre of speculation and that might happen down the road. Rogers Sportsnet has a chance to rethink the first intermission segment and may want to start fresh in the fall of 2020.
Stan Temming of Yahoo Sports Canada suggested Burke, Paul Bissonnette, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, and Patrick Roy as possible replacements. Those are excellent choices. I would throw in Hayley Wickenheiser and yes, Glenn Healy. Healy is really smart on hockey, opinionated, and has lots of experience with Hockey Night in Canada.
As for the future of hockey, Don Cherry fans should take a look at this vision of the good ol' hockey game. (Here is the original version with Ron and Don.)
Don Cherry getting fired is the only reason that the Toronto Maple Leafs firing Mike Babcock isn't the top story of the month. The tweet says it all: short-term thinking doesn't help most NHL teams get out of the doldrums. The Maple Leafs had significant injuries, a lack of depth on defence, and a backup goalie situation so bad Toronto needed a 36-year-old accountant to play, like Chicago had in 2018.
Mike Babcock is one of the best coaches in the league; no offence to Sheldon Keefe, who is in his first NHL head coach position. Keefe might make the Leafs a bit better in the short term. Toronto's goal should be the Stanley Cup. Babcock understood what that took.
Babcock might have been fired for the playoff losses. Getting past Boston when the refs are on the side of the Bruins was a problem that even Babcock couldn't solve.
We ran the rest of the Canadian ads from the NHL Center Ice free preview in November. The 2019 election called for a separate entry. Hope you enjoyed all the ads. We also have the ads on our YouTube page. The service stopped running those idiotic promos that blocked out the first commercial in the break so we got more ads.
All 7 Canadian teams playing on a Saturday is fairly common. The challenge for Rogers Sportsnet on November 2 was having to cover all 7 teams AND not have them play each other. None of those games were in Canada. This was the only time ever that 7 Canadian teams played on a Saturday all outside Canada.
Edmonton @ Pittsburgh for the Saturday matinee went to the Oilers local weekend crew with Kevin Quinn and Drew Remenda.
The 7 pm timeslot had Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, and Calgary.
Toronto: Jim Hughson/Craig Simpson
Montréal: John Bartlett/Garry Galley
Ottawa: R.J. Broadhead/Greg Millen
Calgary: Rick Ball/Cassie Campbell-Pascall (Flames local weekend crew)
The late games had Vancouver and Winnipeg in warmer climates. Dave Randorf and Louie DeBrusk had the Jets not on CBC while the Canucks crew — John Shorthouse and John Garrett — called the Vancouver game on CBC. Vancouver is seen as higher on the NHL chain than Winnipeg. Scott Oake almost always works the CBC game and he didn't on November 2.
Bob Cole likely would have been in Ottawa if this happened last season.
I asked the NHL Public Relations on Twitter for help on the missing city on my list. They did not reply to my message on Twitter. Let's go through the ones we know.
Winnipeg, Montréal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Kanata, Vancouver — current Canadian cities with a NHL franchise
Quebec City — Canadian city with a previous NHL franchise
Ottawa — early NHL days and the 2017 NHL 100 Classic
Saskatoon, Hamilton, Halifax — Canadian cities that hosted NHL games from 1992-1994
Regina — 2019 Heritage Classic host
Ottawa and Hamilton had old-time NHL franchises. As far as we know, they didn't play outside their cities.
The early 1990s experiment brought 8 games to Hamilton; 6 to Saskatoon; and 3 to Halifax.
We know from the cryptic clue in the tweet that the missing city is not in Saskatchewan. Let us know in the comments section if you know the missing city.
There might have been a time where Mike Milbury might have fit in well in the Coach's Corner seat. Cranky and knowledgeable, Milbury would have excelled in that role. Milbury struggles as a game analyst and has trouble not pulling for Boston. I would rather have Eddie Olczyk call a Chicago game with a Canadian team than Mike Milbury with Boston. NBCSN should know better.
The Edmonton telecast is essentially a simulcast of the NBC Sports California feed. Yawn.
November 5 Boston @ Montréal, 7:30p: John Forslund/Mike Milbury November 19 Edmonton @ San Jose, 10:30p: Randy Hahn/Kendall Coyne Schofield/Bret Hedican
Watched a bit of the Maple Leafs and the St. Louis-Calgary late game on CBC Gem on November 9 while on Canadian soil. I recall a couple of years ago trying to stream Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC Web site and finding that difficult. The process was very easy on CBC Gem by clicking on live TV. You can only get the CBC games that way. That proved to be helpful since I didn't have TV where I was staying.
Kyle Bukauskas read the first period and second period promos back-to-back in the November 2 game. The upcoming episode of the Great Canadian Baking Show was the season finale. The promos are not supposed to run back to back. There were only 5 promos on November 2.
Family Feud Canada with Gerry Dee doesn't start until December 16. Red Bull Signature is only available on CBC Gem. The Still Standing promo aired before the third period started on November 16.
November 2 early game: Great Canadian Baking Show; Still Standing (1st); Great Canadian Baking Show; Still Standing (2nd); CBC Listen (3rd)
November 16 early game: CBC Listen; Anne with an E (1st); Family Feud Canada; Red Bull Signature (2nd); Still Standing; Family Feud Canada (3rd)
video credit: YouTube/PWHPA Twitter captures: @canadian_xing; @PR_NHL
The Trudeau Government did an expected cabinet shuffle in preparation for Justin Trudeau's second term as prime minister.
Pablo Rodriguez moves from heritage minister to the government house leader role. The move is considered an upgrade for Rodriguez. Steven Guilbeault, a high-profile Quebec environmental activist, is new to cabinet and will be the new heritage minister.
Guilbeault represents the Laurier–Sainte-Marie riding in central Montréal and was elected for the first time in October. He is a founding member of the Quebec environmental organization Équiterre. Guilbeault is famous for scaling the CN Tower to bring attention to climate change. He would seem well-suited for a climate change portfolio.
Guilbeault is familiar with Radio-Canada and CBC as a commentator. He would do well to go over the Liberal Party platform to "strengthen the regional mandate of CBC/RadioCanada, so that local stations can broadcast more local news; and require CBC/RadioCanada to open up its digital platform, so that journalism start-ups and community newspapers can access affordable technology to develop and distribute local content."
The new heritage minister might want to consider the platforms of the NDP and Green Party: on this subject, considering the minority government status. As the NDP platform notes: "Public broadcasting has a remarkable legacy of connecting all points of our country – and it needs to have an even stronger future now more than ever to help make sure that Canadians have access to accurate, relevant information no matter where they live."
Guilbeault would be the one that would make a reality out of the Liberals campaign promise of a $200 culture pass for Canadians when they turn 12 years old. The party said the pass would apply to "theatres, museums, galleries, workshops, and other cultural venues and local Canadian content."
Guilbeault is the third heritage minister under Justin Trudeau preceded by Mélanie Joly and Rodriguez.
The Broadcast and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel will have its final report sometime in January to update the Broadcasting Act. Guilbeault will finish what Rodriguez started.
The "Netflix tax" might be the singular priority for Guilbeault in his new role. Given that Guilbeault is new to the beat, here are some of the priorities we would love to see from Guilbeault:
-- The Netflix tax bounty, if there is a Netflix tax, will go toward TV projects. The Liberals did vow to "continue to support Canadian film by increasing annual funding for Telefilm Canada by nearly 50 per cent a year" and "introduce a new Cultural Diplomacy strategy, with at least one international mission each year to promote Canadian culture and creators around the world." There should be a way to channel more money into the film industry. Streaming services show movies and television.
-- Channel the assistance for Canadian journalism to go to projects that can improve the flow of news and information. Look into how U.S. hedge funds can own "most" of the largest newspaper company in Canada (Postmedia).
-- Develop a federal film ratings system. We've seen the mess in Ontario and noted provinces banning films in the past. Ontario is currently using the British Columbia ratings system guidelines. Start with the BC guidelines and incorporate elements that other provinces are doing well.
We're not sure how successful the Just Ask campaign was in Canada Election 2019. The idea was for those in the business to ask MP candidates about their concerns on Canadian TV, film, and Web content. As we noted, backbenchers don't usually have much of an impact on policy. Guilbeault should sit down with the Just Ask folks as well as other major Canadian content organisations to get a prospective on their concerns and what the Trudeau Government can do to improve the Canadian culture landscape.
Guilbeault is invited to read our content. We have written a lot of articles on Canadian content, where it is and where it can go. He is bilingual, though French appears to be his first language.
While environment would be a better portfolio, Guilbeault was likely given heritage to ease him into cabinet and not upset Western interests who seem to be always angry. A minority government might not last all 4 years so the Guilbeault era at heritage may not last long. Still, Guilbeault should use the time in heritage to develop solid, long-term solutions on Canadian culture.
Andrew Harris, a Winnipeg native, wears #33 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers scored 33 points in the 2019 Grey Cup win 33-12 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Calgary
Since the Most Valuable Canadian award started in 1971, Harris is the only Canadian to win both Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Canadian in the Grey Cup. The last Canadian to win Most Valuable Player was Russ Jackson in the 1969 Grey Cup.
Harris also won Most Valuable Canadian in the 2011 Grey Cup while with the BC Lions, ironically against Winnipeg.
On Sunday, Harris had 134 yards on 18 carries along with 35 yards on 5 receptions, scoring a touchdown each on the ground and in the air.
The 2-game suspension was a buckle in an otherwise impressive season for Harris and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Seemed fitting for the 2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers that the starting quarterback would have fewer passing yards than his opponent. Zach Collaros went 17-for-23 for 170 yards while Dane Evans was 16-for-27 for 203 yards. Chris Streveler only threw 3 passes, all completions, for Winnipeg for 39 yards with a 18-yard TD pass to Andrew Harris. Collaros and Streveler combined for 209 yards, barely surpassing Evans.
When Matt Nichols was healthy, his passing yards weren't that impressive but that was the way Winnipeg won all season.
Streveler was seen limping at times in the postseason. While we know he's thrilled to win the Grey Cup, Streveler is likely happy to let his legs recover in the offseason.
I was 10yrs old the last time the Bombers won the Grey Cup, so it was pretty cool to get a pic of MY 10yr old watching tonight when they finally won it again. #CFL
There is no cheering in the press box. There isn't. This was a nice human moment after Winnipeg won from TSN's Sara Orlesky. She is based in Winnipeg. There is an emotional impact. Journalism is about honesty. Thanks for being open and sharing with us.
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Paul LaPolice on offence and Richie Hall on defence. We don't often reflect on the coordinators but both were outstanding this season. Hall's defence only gave up a single touchdown in the West final and the Grey Cup. The lone Hamilton major came late in the 3rd quarter.
The perception of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers changed before the 2016 season when Andrew Harris and Justin Medlock signed with the Blue Bombers in free agency. Harris came home from BC while Medlock came over from Hamilton.
Medlock went 6-for-7 on field goals in the 2019 Grey Cup. He hit the last 6 attempts from 45, 17, 39, 41, 17, and 18 yards. Medlock was the fourth kicker to hit 6 field goals in a Grey Cup.
We noted in our 2019 Grey Cup preview that the losing fan base would be crestfallen by the result. Hamilton has lost 3 Grey Cups in the 2010s in 2014, 2015, and now 2019. The streak will be 21 years in 2020. Montréal will have the second-longest streak at 10 years in 2020.
Ottawa had a 40-year drought between CFL title championships. The city didn't have football from 1997-2001 after the loss of the Rough Riders and 2006-2013 after the loss of the Renegades. About a third (13) of the drought were seasons where Ottawa didn't have the CFL.
Hamilton had an amazing run with a all-time best 15-3 record. The Tiger-Cats struggled on offence and had the first 6 turnovers of the game.
"It's not up to the standards of modern sport...I'd like to say this is the last time we'll have a Grey Cup at McMahon."
McMahon Stadium has a great intimacy but isn't high on the list of ideal CFL stadiums. The stadium (1960) is the second-oldest CFL stadium to Percival Molson Stadium (1915). There isn't an outcry in Montréal since that situation is very different. Calgary had a need to replace both McMahon and the Saddledome but the talk has been mostly about the Flames, not the Stampeders.
The 2026 Winter Olympics bid would have solved both of those issues with a large payday for Calgary, but the voters said no.
The 108th Grey Cup will be on November 22, 2020 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. Regina will host for the fourth time and the first at Mosaic Stadium. The 2021 Grey Cup will be at Tim Hortons Field for the first time in Hamilton since 1996. Those stadiums are the newest crown jewels in the CFL.
The 2010s will have 8 different CFL teams with a title. Toronto and Calgary have won 2 Grey Cups each in the decade while Montréal, BC, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, and Ottawa have won a single Grey Cup in the decade. Hamilton (1999) and Winnipeg (1990) will vie to be that last Grey Cup winner in the decade.
Zach Collaros and Simoni Lawrence. Their paths literally collided knocking Collaros out for weeks and Lawrence served a 2-game suspension. They are on opposite sides of the final game of the 2019 CFL season.
Hamilton narrowly defeated Winnipeg at home 23-15 on July 26. Jeremiah Masoli got hurt in that game and Dane Evans took over for the Tiger-Cats. Hamilton had little trouble with the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg 33-13 on September 27.
Neither team has won the Grey Cup in high-definition or on TSN. The 2019 Grey Cup in Calgary will be long-awaited joy to one fan base and yet more tragedy to the other fan base.
ESPN2
Sunday Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Calgary, 6:30p
TSN
Sunday Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Calgary, 6:30p
We know the two teams in the game, but who has the edge at each position?
The 2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the first team that isn't a top seed to be in the Grey Cup since 2013 and only the 11th third-place team to reach the Grey Cup. When you hold the top seed in the West without a touchdown, that team can make a lot of history.
"We got down inside the five three times and couldn't score a touchdown. When you play like that, you don't deserve to win," said Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo. Fajardo went back and forth between comfortable and not-so comfortable with his oblique injury. He only has a single major run and that was late in the game. The Roughriders lacked a bit of imagination in the scoring zone.
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Edmonton chose to take the wind in the 3rd quarter when traditionally done in the 4th quarter. The Esks didn't score in the 3rd quarter with the wind and only 3 points in the 4th quarter.
The Esks had a couple of early turnovers. The Tiger-Cats had all the big offensive plays of the game.
While Edmonton was the third crossover team in the last 4 years to make the East Division final, no crossover team has ever made the Grey Cup.
Orlondo Steinauer has reached the Grey Cup in his first season as a CFL head coach. You might recall that June Jones had willingly stepped aside to let Steinauer be the head coach. Hamilton does owe some gratitude to June Jones and Jerry Glanville. Some American coaches come to Canada and are overwhelmed by the CFL nuances. Jones and Glanville embraced their time in Canada and made the Tiger-Cats better.
Steinauer played in three Grey Cups, winning twice in 1999 and 2004. The 1999 game was the last time the Tiger-Cats were CFL champions.
Mike O’Shea is also in his first Grey Cup as a coach. O’Shea won 3 Grey Cups as a player with Toronto.
Steinauer and O'Shea won a Grey Cup in 2012 as assistant coaches in Toronto: Steinauer as the defensive backs coach and O'Shea as the special teams coordinator.
O'Shea's team defeated teams coached by the Dickenson brothers: Dave with Calgary and Craig with Saskatchewan. Like Steinauer, this was Craig Dickenson's debut season as a CFL head coach.
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Jeremiah Masoli and Matt Nichols might be playing the Grey Cup in their minds as Dane Evans and Zach Collaros are on the field in Calgary. In the year of the backup quarterback, Evans and Collaros took different paths to get to Calgary.
The NHL chose to move the Hometown Hockey game to nighttime on Grey Cup Sunday. In recent years, the game has been in the afternoon, like with the Super Bowl. The Edmonton Oilers are in Arizona opposite the Grey Cup. Edmonton sports fans would have had a tough dilemma if the Oilers and Esks were playing at the same time.
The Oilers play late on Saturday night and have to fly on Sunday, which is likely why the Oilers have to play at night. The NHL should respect the Grey Cup when making out its schedule.
The Oilers game is on national TV in both countries as the NHL Network will carry the Hometown Hockey game.
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The teams last met in the 1984 Grey Cup where Winnipeg won 47-17 over Hamilton. The 1984 Grey Cup was also the last time Winnipeg represented the West Division in the Grey Cup.
Those who read last week's CFL preview might have thought I predicted a Hamilton-Winnipeg Grey Cup. Not the biggest fan of predictions or speculation — just the idea that all the CFL teams should have recent success.
The current players aren't responsible for the frustration of these long streaks but they will feel it on Sunday. Collaros guided Hamilton to a Grey Cup in 2014.
Despite the recent droughts for Winnipeg and Hamilton, the franchises have been quite successful. Toronto (17) and Edmonton (14) dominate the standings of current teams. Winnipeg is third with 10 and Hamilton tied for fourth with 8 Grey Cup titles.
Calgary (8), Montréal (7), BC (6), Saskatchewan (4), and Ottawa (1) round out the current list. The Ottawa Rough Riders (9) won a lot of Grey Cups but none after 1976.
Hamilton was in the Grey Cup in 2013 and 2014. Winnipeg has had quite a few Grey Cup appearances since 1990 in 1992, 1993, 2001, 2007, and 2011.
Keith Urban will be the halftime entertainment star. The Beaches will play at the Grey Cup kickoff show. The opening festivities also has the Calgary Stampede Showband and a young guest vocalist performing the national anthem.
ESPN2 coverage is scheduled to start at 6 pm Eastern.
CFL crossover games
Year
Team
Result
2019
Edmonton (8-10)
beat Montréal (10-8), lost to Hamilton (15-3)
2018
BC (9-9)
lost to Hamilton (8-10)
2017
Saskatchewan (10-8)
beat Ottawa (8-9-1), then lost to Toronto (9-9)
2016
Edmonton (10-8)
beat Hamilton (7-11), then lost to Ottawa (8-9-1)
2014
BC (9-9)
lost to Montréal (9-9)
2012
Edmonton (7-11)
lost to Toronto (9-9)
2009
BC (8-10)
beat Hamilton (9-9), then lost to Montréal (15-3)
2008
Edmonton (10-8)
beat Winnipeg (8-10), then lost to Montréal (11-7)
The 2019 Windsor International Film Festival was a grand 10-day celebration of Canadian film. We had been critical of the film festival not having enough Canadian films in recent years. This year's version had plenty of Canadian films.
Kuessipan won the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film award. The winning film gets the honour and a $10,000 cash award. This is the first year WIFF has had this award.
Kuessipan won over a rather remarkable group of Canadian films to win the award. My vote would have gone for And The Birds Rained Down but the vote would have been close. The other Canadian film nominees were Antigone; Castle in the Ground; Easy Land; Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind; Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger; Matthias and Maxime; Prey; and Willie.
The jury was comprised of Karen Bruce, Women in Film & Television Toronto executive director; Joshua Riehl, director of The Russian Five; and Isabelle Corriveau, Radio-Canada producer.
There were a number of films that we could not cover during the film festival.
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band was the most prominent film. We will cover the film in a separate film review. Lie Exposed and For Those Who Don't Read Me were fiction films that we really wanted to cover. Hope is not high to find either film but we hope for hope.
Other documentaries not reviewed from the film festival were Conviction, Final Offer (1985), Killing Patient Zero, and There Are No Fakes. Co-productions not covered were Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees; City Dreamers; and Toxic Beauty. Other local films not covered were Ghost Artist; Go-Boy! Memories of a Life Behind Bars; Last Call; Prey; The Quick and Dirty (preceded by Finding Feather Hat Guy); and That Is All.
photo credit: me logo credit: Windsor International Film Festival
Goalie brings us the saga of Terry Sawchuk, known in Toronto as the last goalie to win a Stanley Cup for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mark O'Brien (Republic of Doyle) takes on the mannerisms of a physically and emotionally damaged human being. The story hit select highlights and lowlights in Sawchuk's life and career, his alcoholism, his obsession with Trader Jack Adams (Kevin Pollak), his rough childhood. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is used throughout the film as a symbol. Joel Thomas Hynes and Jonny Harris make brief appearances. The film skates through a lot, focusing more on drama than the nuances of Sawchuk's life.
White Lie takes us inside the twisted world of Katie Arneson (Kacey Rohl) who is raising money for an experimental cancer treatment in Seattle. Katie spends a lot of time and money working on the backstory to convince people to give her money. Watching a liar is a little too real given the current climate. Watching a bad liar is a bit more fun. She fools her sexual partner but others seem more skeptical, especially her father. Rohl, who is one of the 2019 TIFF Rising Stars, juggles her need to lie without delving too far into her motivations.
Murmur is a brave film from writer/director Heather Young about Donna (Shan MacDonald), who helps out at an animal shelter as community service after a drunk driving arrest. Donna wants to talk with her daughter but can't get her to return her calls. She trades the addiction of alcohol for animals. Donna adopts a very needy older dog from the shelter. The dog and Donna both have murmur issues, hence the title. Soon, Donna finds one pet isn't enough. Young takes us further than we might want to casually go but stays faithful to the character. You might need a shower and a desire to hug your pet when the film is over but the journey is worth the effort. The film is considered docufiction with mostly non-professional actors but doesn't feel like a documentary at all.
Castle in the Ground is proof that Joey Klein has an unique film directing style that makes The Other Half look like Citizen Kane. Like his first film, Klein gives us a hazy world where we can't root for the main characters and don't really know what is happening. The star of The Other Half was mental illness while the star of Castle in the Ground is addiction. The young man helps his mother (Neve Campbell) deal with her pain, then sets down his own road on addiction for reasons that aren't clear. The next door neighbour is intriguing and addicted so they hang out. The film feels like a more amateurish version of Blue Velvet but makes less sense. Klein gives us a key sequence where the audience never learns what happens. Klein noted in the Q&A that Tatiana Maslany was going to be Ana, the female lead, but opted to do Network on Broadway. British actress Imogen Poots is the female lead as a brunette channeling Zooey Deschanel if she was hooked on drugs. Maslany's partner Tom Cullen is also in this film.
Easy Land is the debut film from writer/director Sanja Zivkovic about a Serbian mother and daughter struggling to establish their new lives in Canada. The daughter has to repeat Grade 12. Economic opportunity is a concern for both of them with the mother growing impatient with not being able to do what she can do. The mental illness revelation comes slow, reflecting the impact over time on a mentally fragile person.
Acquainted is a film with an intriguing premise about the temptation of meeting someone while in a relationship. The problem is that the new couple has little chemistry, the standard relationships have zero chemistry. The fact that a couple buys a stand-alone house with a huge backyard in Toronto in 2019 without a speck of irony feels really false. The woman in the new couple is supposed to be a plants expert and doesn't say anything when the guy plants new flowers right next to a tall tree with long roots. The female supporting characters, who deserve their own small independent film, are more interesting than any of the primary characters.
Boys vs Girls is a local film that actually has Colin Mochrie in a somewhat prominent role and Kevin McDonald in a small role. The comedy about a camp is set in 1989 and 1990 for reasons that aren't clear. The premise is that the camp has separated genders but is forced to merge the primary genders together. The film takes on a boys vs. girls mentality but switches midstream to uniting to save the camp from closing. Neither direction is that redeeming in the film. The characters are washed out except for the 1-dimensional odd characters (her — tough; him — fat) in the group. Mochrie and McDonald are bright spots but can't do too much with the script.
The Lower Plateau can be viewed as a slacker film with a female protagonist of colour. She is at a crossroads in many avenues of her life, not quite sure where to go. Her main source of income is selling marijuana. Her former music partner Darcy has hit it big without her. The film is brilliant in that the pacing matches someone who is high a lot but problematic if you are not high when watching the film. Odd to watch a film set in Montréal that manages to avoid the French language. Nocturne cafe and The Word bookstore are real parts of the actual neighbourhood. A Montréal Expos hat is added as a nice touch.
photo credit: Goalie film video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers
Émilie Bierre and Monia Chokri have multiple appearances in the 2019 Windsor International Film Festival. Bierre is the shy lead in A Colony, a bully in The Far Shore, and a young camper in love in Genesis. Chokri is the female lead in We Are Gold, the school counselor in Before We Explode, and briefly onscreen in her directorial debut A Brother's Love.
And The Birds Rained Down marks the return of writer/director Louise Archambault (Gabrielle) about 3 old men who live in the forest, an old woman who has been institutionalised for most of her life, and a younger woman wanting to photograph one of the older men. The story deals with relationships, death, and escape from the modern world. Rémy Girard surprises us with performances of Leonard Cohen's Bird on a Wire and Tom Waits' Time. One of the most beautiful films you will see in some time.
A Colony has Mylia (Émilie Bierre) in a world where she is curious about the nearby Abenaki First Nation reserve. Mylia goes to school in a world where hanging out with indigenous people is not so cool. Bullying and peer pressure dominate the plot and Mylia is exceptionally sensitive and quiet. Being a young actor and playing that quiet is a difficult task and Bierre was rewarded with Best Actress at the Canadian Screen Awards. The debut film from writer/director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles also won Best Picture.
We saw Antigone in the 2019 Windsor International Film Festival. Given its Oscars status, we gave the film a separate review.
Jeune Juliette is a personal take from Anne Émond on what appears to be an autobiographical story. Juliette misses her mom, who moved to New York City. She started to put on weight after her mom left. Juliette is unhappy with everything in her world. Well, almost everything. Liane is her best friend. Her supportive brother Liam is about to move away. Juliette and Liane clash on an issue and suddenly Juliette feels really alone. Émond struggles a bit more with comedy than her first 3 films, all dramas, but the film tells a really nice story.
Kuessipan is about when friendship is significantly tested. Myriam Verreault adapted the Naomi Fontaine novel about the friendship between Mikuan and Shaniss. They live in Sept-Iles in Quebec, a lot closer to Labrador than southern Quebec. Shaniss then has to move in with her aunt, who lives in Maliotenam, about 14 km from Sept-Iles. Mikuan travels to visit Shaniss often but the relationship is not the same. When they are teenagers, Mikuan wants to be a writer and still lives in a strong family dynamic. Shaniss has a baby and a boyfriend with anger issues. Shaniss is also upset because Mikuan wants to escape and go to school in Quebec City with her white boyfriend. The film's theme and messages transcend the setting. Kuessipan won the initial WIFF Prize in Canadian Film award.
Slut in a Good Way was the pleasant surprise of the film festival. The gender battle that centres around a toy store in a strip mall in Montréal could have gone badly. With the writing from Catherine Léger (Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Screenplay) and director Sophie Lorain, the story becomes a pro-feminist, pro-sex film that perhaps only Quebec and maybe France can produce. Charlotte gains the reputation of being a slut, but refuses to be ashamed, pointing out the contradiction between men and women. The gender battle extends to raising money for their causes, including Bushes for Amnesty International. Marguerite Bouchard shines as Charlotte and Romane Denis as Megane and Rose Adam as Aube are well-drawn, 3-dimensional characters searching for love and lust. Megane is a very visible Montréal Expos fan. The decision to shot the film in black and white adds mystery and sophistication to the film.
Matthias et Maxime marks the Quebec return of Xavier Dolan, who also stars in one of his films, the first since Tom at the Farm. Dolan is Maxime, part of a tight group of guys. Matthias and Maxime end up in student film where they are supposed to kiss. Dolan wisely doesn't show the kiss. The more important part is the aftermath. Maxime is getting ready to move to Melbourne, Australia for a couple of years. Matthias is having trouble reconciling what happened and avoids Maxime whenever he can. The film weaves a lot toward the end, a bit of a surprise for a Dolan film. His film mastery is back from focusing on the yellow lines of the road to characters bringing the conversation back to French when English is introduced to references to Denys Arcand, Les invasions barbares, and Pedro Almodovar. Can't speak for his English language film, which I still haven't seen, but the magic of this film was missing from Juste la fin du monde.
Genesis is the latest film from Philippe Lesage (The Demons), a Best Picture nominee from the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards. The Demons was hard to follow as was this film. Genesis goes back and forth between first love stories. Guillaume (Théodore Pellerin, who also was in The Demons) is a smartass in an all-boys school who discovers he is in love with his best friend. Guillaume's half-sister Charlotte is presumably in her first relationship. The boyfriend talks about an open relationship; Charlotte doesn't want one. She leaves him to date someone else, but thinks about the first boyfriend when things don't go well. The film then has a 20-minute first love story involving the lead character from The Demons, Félix (Édouard Tremblay-Grenier) and Émilie Bierre. Lesage doesn't spend time on the actual relationship between Guillaume and Charlotte so the stories feel separate. The "second film" is more interesting than the "first film" overall. Guillaume's story is way more interesting than Charlotte's because Lesage shows more of his motivations. His public confession and the mini film afterward are worth watching the film.
A Brother's Love marks the directorial debut for Quebec actor Monia Chokri. Sophia (Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, a lookalike for Chokri) and her brother Karim (Patrick Hivon) have a very close relationship. Karim even goes with Sophia when she is having an abortion. They meet Sophia's gynecologist Éloise (Évelyne Brochu). Karim falls in love with Éloise and they start a relationship. The film follows Sophia, who bemoans being overeducated and fat, even if she is neither. Their parents seem happier with each other after they got divorced. The film theme shifted to Sophia trying to find happiness and a possible replacement for her brother's love. The film screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
We Are Gold is about coming back home to a community that is "celebrating" the 10-year anniversary of a devastating mine collapse. Marianne (Monia Chokri) is a successful musician who is taking a break from her career. Her sister, who is raising their brother along with her teenage daughter, has tensions with Marianne. Marianne gets back together with her former band mates, one a teacher and the other a thief. The awkwardness and tension of the big city life adjusting back adds to the drama. The film has a hilarious poutine scene, a topic that rarely comes up in Quebec films.
The Far Shore explores grief for a mother and 2 daughters after losing the patriarch of the family. Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin (Incendies) struggles to pay the bills, chasing after life insurance that hasn't paid out. Her nautically named daughters Océane (Éléonore Loiselle) and Marine (Maèva Tremblay) have their own struggles. Océane ends up with a much older man while Marine, who skipped a grade, is subject to bullying. Émilie Bierre (A Colony) does an 180 from her award-winning film to play the primary bully. Calling each other capitan hits on the water theme and shows the bond these women have in the fury of the story.
Compulsive Liar is a cute, more profound, thoughtful, and complicated version of Liar Liar from Canadian Jim Carrey. Simon (Louis-José Houde) lives on lies, then finds all the lies have come true all at once. The film never gets too cruel and you get a sense that the actors are having fun with the premise. The film is on pace to be the top grossing Canadian film in 2019 and has already cracked the top 15 of Quebec films all-time.
Before We Explode follows a virgin who is trying to have sex before World War III comes to tiny Baie St. Paul in Quebec. Pier-Luc (Étienne Galloy) sees the world collapsing on television and his friends try to help him out. Director Rémi St-Michel and writer Eric K. Boulianne have a lot of fun with the attacks element of the story. The film drifts between sweet and a bit creepy. The mood is supposed to produce awkward attempts from an adolescent boy but the creepy makes you not root for him to reach his goal. Monia Chokri plays the school counselor. Antoine Olivier Pilon (Mommy) is the tough boyfriend of a girl Pier-Luc wants to be his first. They are enough clever moments in a mostly even film to pick this one.
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers photo credit: Kuessipan film
There's Something in the Water tackles environmental racism through the lens of Ellen Page and Ian Daniel. The film shows us 3 examples from Nova Scotia, Page's home province. They travel to Shelburne, Boat Harbour, and Fort Ellis. We get to see the impact of the damage caused by a dump, paper mill waste, and a gas company potentially releasing salt into fresh water. The title comes from the study by Dr. Ingrid Waldron. Page and Daniel are wise to let the people tell their stories and show the impact of the environmental racism. The only critique is that the film is a bit short and could have used a concluding perspective or an additional story.
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind takes us through the long history of the music of Gordon Lightfoot. This film takes us into the Toronto folk scene of the mid-1960s. Lightfoot develops a friendship with Joni Mitchell and even stays at her Detroit apartment. The film shows the impact of artists covering such classics as Early Morning Rain and Song for a Winter's Night.
The film doesn't forget about The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald but smartly makes the audience wait toward the end. A must for huge Lightfoot fans and a nice primer if you only know the major hits.
Push follows UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Leilani Farha as she travels the world focused on housing as a right, especially in large cities. The documentary also focuses on how some elements of the finance world are making the housing crisis even more horrible in the name of greed. The film tries for a happy ending but shows that your local problem is a global issue.
Willie tells the little-known story of Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL. The film focuses primarily on getting O'Ree into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. We learn about O'Ree's childhood in Fredericton and how he worked his way through the minor league ranks before playing for Boston on January 18, 1958. The story of an eye injury that affected his career comes way late in the documentary. The richness of black NHL players is briefly spotlighted in the film as the focus is more on O'Ree.
One Day In The Life Of Noah Piogattuk tells the story about a "negotiation" where the Canadian government wants a community to move from its land to a settlement in 1961. The film is a dramatisation of the real story of the conversation. Expect to be more informed than entertained.
Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger profiles Jordan River Anderson from the Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. Anderson is born in a hospital in Winnipeg because of complications with the pregnancy. Anderson spends his brief life in the hospital because the provincial and federal governments battle over which entity is responsible for the medical costs after the hospital stay. Jordan's Principle was created to deal with such issues. Like a lot of concerns with indigenous people, the solution doesn't always match the problem. Alanis Obomsawin is back with her 53rd film. You might recall that Obomsawin filmed at Norway House for her 2017 documentary Our People Will Be Healed.
nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up explores the story of the death of Colten Boushie, who was fatally shot by a farmer in 2016. Tasha Hubbard goes into the incompetence of the RCMP investigation, the lack of indigenous people on the jury, and the shocking not guilty verdict against the farmer. You don't have to know much about Boushie's story to know about the different standards of justice for the indigenous people. The fact that the family was treated as criminals in the initial investigation screams injustice. Hubbard uses animation to tell parts of the story not easily told. The family struggles to tell Colton's story is a learning tool as they go on TV and eventually meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The film won the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award at Hot Docs 2019.
I'm Going to Break Your Heart takes us into the creative process with a few arguments of Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk, a husband and wife music team (aka Moon vs. Sun). The film is highly self-indulgent, especially if you aren't familiar with the artists. This felt like watching Let It Be if you didn't know The Beatles. I recommended this film to a friend in the film festival because he is interested in relationship dynamics. The documentary has them in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French islands off the Newfoundland coast. Unfortunately for the audience, they are there in winter so the beauty is sharply limited. The duo performs 3 songs at the end of the film.
Pipe Dreams could have been about the amazing, complex instrument that is the pipe organ. Unfortunately, the film follows competitors in a pipe organ competition in Montréal. None of the featured competitors were Canadian in this Canadian film. You do get to hear some cool pipe organ music though you could buy a couple CDs and have a better audio experience.
Follow Me is a film that the creators think is a documentary about weight loss. I chose to think of it as performance art where the host thinks the subject is weight loss when the film is really about switching out addictions from food to something else. Otherwise, the film comes across as an infomercial for changing your life. The cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty of Toronto.
photo credit: There's Something in the Water film video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers
Antigone wears a lot of pressure. The Sophie Deraspe film won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and is Canada's nomination for Best International Feature Film to the 92nd Academy Awards.
The film is based on the Sophocles' classical Greek tragedy so we think we have some idea where the film is going. The family has immigrated from an unknown Middle Eastern country but smartly doesn't say which one. Their parents die shortly before immigrating to Canada and settling in Montréal. The grandma takes care of the 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Antigone, the youngest, was 3 when they arrived in Canada.
Antigone (Nahema Ricci) as a teenager is the ideal immigrant experience. She is very bright and isn't in trouble. Antigone even meets a white boy.
Then one night the police are chasing Polynice for a parole violation. They come across Étéocle, the older brother, who is holding a smartphone. The police arrest Polynice and shot and kill Étéocle.
The family is devastated. The death of Étéocle and arrest of Polynice is seen from the outside as gang members getting what they deserve. The family views this as both brothers disappearing from the family. Antigone does what she can to save her living brother, making the sacrifice of herself.
Though the story fits the tragedy, the separation of genders points out the temptation of gangs that target males much more than females.
Nahema Ricci is one of the 2019 TIFF Rising Stars. Often, the Rising Stars have a bit of work before they get the honour. Ricci worked on Ailleurs | Squat in 2018. Deraspe reportedly said she wanted novice actors. Ricci shines brightly and Deraspe gets a really fine performance.
Deraspe does really well in incorporating social media and protests to showcase empathy for Antigone.
Most of the film is well done but Deraspe loses control over the film toward the end. The fate of Antigone goes back and forth in ways that are confusing and exasperating for the audience. If you tried to do a flow chart of where the film goes, you will go off the standard paper size rather quickly. The love scene between Antigone and the young white boy provoked confusion and laughter in a scene that didn't have those emotions in mind.
Antigone shows the ties of family and the issues immigrants can have, especially when dealing with the justice system. Deraspe delivers a mostly good film that deserved a bit more editing care at the end. In the light of Bill 21, Antigone is worthy of a conversation in Quebec and hopefully beyond.
Sophie Deraspe's last film with the documentary The Amina Profile in 2015. I saw that film but felt less than satisfied by that film.
Even with a consistent film all the way through and the timely message on immigrants, Antigone likely won't get much notice or attention. The female written and directed film is leaps and bounds ahead of last year's Oscar entry (also female written and directed) and is more enticing than the previous year's entry. Monsieur Lazhar, a film also about the immigrant experience, was a much better film.
The competition is quite tough with Parasite perhaps crossing over to the regular Academy Awards categories.
Canada hasn't made the top 5 since Kim Nguyen’s Rebelle in 2013 and the top 9 since Juste la fin du monde from Xavier Dolan in 2016. Les Invasions barbares from Denys Arcand is still the only Canadian film to win the Oscar in the category. This film should be more prevalent in the conversation but we will wait and see.
My own personal streak extends to the last 16 Canadian entries for the Best International Feature Film to 2003 and The Barbarian Invasions. There are only 3 films missing since Cosmos (1997): August 32nd on Earth (1998); Emporte-Moi | Set Me Free (1999); and Un crabe dans la tête (2002).
These are the nominated films from Canada I've seen before 1997: Mon oncle Antoine (1971); Les Ordres (1975); J.A. Martin photographe (1977); Le Déclin de l'empire américain (1986); Jésus de Montréal (1989); Léolo (1992); and Le Sexe des étoiles | The Sex of the Stars (1993).
The list of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film will be cut to 10 films on December 16.
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers photo credit: Antigone film
